All Men are Created Equal?

The founding Father’s could not have been more wrong in that statement, All people are not equal, literally speaking. I find that statement to be figurative, a nirvana that will never be. Equal perhaps in our rights, but as people and what we accomplish in this life very different and unique. Some people are over-achievers, others under-achievers. Then there are those of the worst sort, the people who rape and murder, terrorism, abuse of every kind to our elderly and children. I see no equality in relation to that kind.

The world and this country was less populated at the time when our Forefather’s wrote the Declaration of Independence, people had very specific roles in life, they had to work much, much harder than we do. Of course there were atrocities, but they were kept hidden. Those in the open were considered justified then, such as the Salem witch hunt and slavery. Thomas Jefferson composed the great document that states “All men are created equal” and yet he continued to own slaves.

All men being created equal is a pleasant dream, but the reality is balance, we have to have good and bad in a society. There would be no clear functioning if we did not. I hate the ugly things I have witnessed and regret anything I ever did that was ever harmful to myself or others.

The founding Father’s never visualized what we see in humanity today, we too would probably be blind to all of it if it were not for advanced technology that shows us everything good and bad in this world. we would see crime unpunished if it were not for the advent of law enforcement agencies and the increased knowledge in forensics and investigation. H.H. Holmes may have never been caught as this country’s first serial killer especially in a time period where people being transient and disappearing was common place in the late 19Th century. He was initially charged for insurance fraud in 1894 for faking the death of his assistant (and in my opinion though few see it this way, his accomplice, instead we call him a victim but he knew).

So many women went missing in that “Castle of death” of his during the 1893 Chicago world’s fair, but he was never looked at as a suspect even though he was known to be the last to see them. He lived in time where people were trusting, he had charm and appeared well off and held the title of “Doctor”. So of course how could such a great man be such a monster? What is funny is that those characteristics that made Holmes (real name Mudgett) so appealing and trustworthy later became typical of the traits found in a serial killer profile. What made him unique is that he kept no physical souvenirs that we are aware of, and he also did not have a “type” like the serial killers that came after him. Holmes killed, women, children and men. He was a con-artist and a debtor to the greatest extent. Only 9 deaths were confirmed though it is very likely that it was well over 100. In a city where people move on and disappear few would have thought twice. Approximately 200 people went missing during that incredible fair. What evidence could have been brought to life on possibly how many were killed could have determined with some accuracy by law enforcement of that time was ruined by an arsonist’s fire to burn away the ugliness, so now we will never know. But, believe this, while Jack the Ripper had more publicity and fame for the killings of 5 women in White Chapel, Holmes was a much more deadly and evil force.

Maybe this evil did exist all along and equally so in ratio to the population of past times as now? It is possible especially since people hid ugliness as well as the transient nature of people and difficulty of reliable communications. Many deaths would have been seen as natural in many instances in the early beginnings of our great country due to the infancy of science and no forensics.

Again, how are all men equal? Economically? Impossible, socialism is a failed society. The world needs the great minds and the laborers.

What we don’t need are the sick people that harm those who cannot protect themselves. This world is less caring and numb to the ugliness because we see it always through the advent of communication technology. We have to bring ourselves back to feeling, back to caring, back to respecting, back to treating people with dignity.Sometimes it takes one thing to pinch you back to reality. In my case it was a few things, I too was numb, but when I saw on the news a while back a man who raped his infant daughter, under 6 months old and got sentenced to 4 years I was sick. The punishment should absolutely fit the crime. That man should never be allowed to re-enter our society.

I now treasure what I have, a family that while can make me crazy I adore. Friends I love, elderly people I have befriended through work, and so many other great things. I appreciate my cozy home and consider all that I have great and small a blessing that pours happiness over my soul.

But I too hold the dream, the dream of equality maybe not in the socioeconomic way, but in how we treat one another. The ability for people to be happy with what they have be it grand or simple. That men and women can define between good and evil and dispel of anger that eats at them and causes them to lash out harmfully on others and themselves. That just one dream that each person has comes to fruition. That faith (be it religion, spiritual or personal) and hope will live in hearts forever. That those who just exist and go through the motions will one day wake up and really live. That is my idea of equality and my dream.